WELCOME back to Telegraph Towers' version of "The Golden Years," and I must say after a couple of month's penning my TRM in my new chair, I don't know about you, but I'm beginning to enjoy it.

So put the parrot back in its cage and, once again, let's turn the clock back to the dim and distant days of yore, and mine.

I'm delighted to be able to open with a TRM trawler corner special, because it's the Beacon Star LT 770, although not a Milford boat, one which was requested by Margaret Lloyd, who's uncle, Leon Bray, had been one of the crew when, in Feb 1937, amid lethal storms, she was tragically lost in bad weather in the area near the Eddystone Lighthouse.

Launched in Jan 1912, (the year the Titanic sank) she was owned by the Lowestoft company, Star Drift Fishing Co. Ltd. Requisitioned by the Admiralty in Sept 1915, and, armed with 1-3 pdr, operated as workshop support for boom working vessels.

At the time she was lost, she had sailed from Lowestoft to Padstow, in company with Milford's Constant Star and One Accord (both of which I hope to feature sometime in the future).

Margaret, too, was delighted, and has already passed it on to her family. I am extremely grateful to Milford's Ken Watson, who provided me with the snap, along with all the gen.

Last week, my Great Eastern reflections appeared to meet with approval, so I thought, aided by more pictorial treasures, I'd follow up that same theme.

It was in the late 1890's, over a decade after Mr Brunel's big baby left our waters to head for the finality of a Liverpool knackers yard and, despite the Dock's frantic efforts to make their dreams of transatlantic trade come true, it was already becoming more and more evident that their hopes of promotion to the Premier League of Transatlantic trading wasn't that likely.

However, there sprung a glimmer of hope in 1898, when it was announced that a Steamship Line service, from Canada's Paspebiac (90 miles South of the Gulf of St Lawrence), to Milford, had been agreed.

So, it was "yah boo sucks" to all the doubters and let the band begin. To start the ball rolling, the steamer Gaspesia, on 6/12/1898, tied-up on the Milford side of the basin, and as well as a cargo of Welsh tin plate and Welsh steam coal, the ship had 75 passengers, who'd boarded at Liverpool, and around 40 others (mostly those from companies involved in the venture, guests, and the Press) who'd travelled down from Paddington in a "special" train.

According to Jack Warburton, the rail journey broke all records for the run and, allegedly, "it would've been even faster if there hadn't been a cow on the line at Slough!"

I can imagine that, at the time, there may well have been one or two family conversations like this.

"Mam, there's a big ship in the docks called the Gaspesia. It looks smashing.

It says for 8 guineas, we can go to Canada. Can we go mam...I know you like Mounties! I asked dad, and he said, ‘If your mam wants to, we'll go."

"Did he now? And is that the same dad who's too mean to pay the halfpenny toll to cross the Hakin bridge?"

Although there were some folk who heralded it as a "success", to be quite blunt, it was hardly that… because the Gaspesia never returned to Milford again... and no other interest was shown.

Over the next quarter of a century, efforts to break into the transatlantic market continued but it wasn't to be, and inevitably, the future direction of the Docks turned towards the fishing industry.

The snaps are of the Gaspesia, the promo poster and the record-breaking train from Paddington.

Now it's teaser time. Three was the answer to last week's question (A grandfather, two fathers and two sons went to the Torch cinema together and everyone bought one ticket each. How many tickets did they buy in total?)

And this week's winners are Les Haynes, Joyce Layton, All at Todaros, Cynthia Edwards, Margaret Jones, Anne & Jets Llewellyn. Many thanks to all who got in touch. I won't be here next week so look after those brain cells 'til I return.

Last week's Footnote from the Editor made me feel that I'm not just a "passing whim after all!"

I leave you with some wise words from Dr Thomas Perls; "I don't think the trick is staying young. I think the trick is ageing well."

Bye for now.